GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S OPENING SPEECH-ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Order of the Day read for the adjourned debate on the motion of Senator Aulich-That the following Address-in-Reply be agreed to: To His Excellency the Governor-General MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY- We, the Senate of the Commonwealth of Australia in Parliament assembled, desire to express our loyalty to our Most Gracious Sovereign, and to thank Your Excellency for the Speech which you have been pleased to address to Parliament.

And on the amendment moved thereto by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Chaney), viz: That the following words be added to the Address-in-Reply '', but the Senate is of the opinion that the Government's program outlined in the Governor-General's Speech fails to address critical problems facing Australia in that- (a) it fails to reassure the Australian people that the country's defence arrangements within the western alliance will be preserved and strengthened following: (i) the Prime Minister's capitulation to internal party pressures on the issue of Australia providing logistical assistance to the United States for its testing of the MX missile, and

(ii) increasing uncertainty as to the future of the ANZUS Treaty fuelled by members of the Labor Government, including a Cabinet Minister;

(b) it contains no coherent economic strategy at a time when recovery is threatened by: (i) record government taxation and spending,

(ii) continuing pressure within the Government for new taxes on assets,

(iii) growing demands for higher wages and other extra cost burdens on industry,

(iv) the level of public debt repayments, and

(v) loss of value of the currency reflecting world concern about Australia's competitiveness and government instability; and

(c) it endorses a rigid, centralised wage determining structure which imposes the same cost burdens on commerce and industry regardless of ability to pay''.

Debate resumed.

On the motion of the Minister for Community Services (Senator Grimes) the debate was adjourned.

Ordered-That the resumption of the debate be an Order of the Day for a later hour of the day.